Tractor cab with closure curtains



Jan. 12, 1954 M. n. PARKINSON TRACTOR CAB WITH CLOSURE CURTAINS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 25, 1951 INVENTOR Mamas D. PAaKmsoN m flan/545w: 77ZgmM/j ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 12, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRACTOR CAB WITH CLOSURE CURTAINS Morris D. Parkinson, Rexburg, Idaho Application November 23, 1951, Serial No. 257,873

:2 Claims. 1 i

This invention relates to tractor cabs with closure curtains and more particularly to a cab enclosure curtain structure for an earth and snow moving tractor or bulldozer.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved cab and closure curtain structure for a bulldozer type tractor which structure, when the curtains are in place, will provide a substantially weathertight enclosure for the tractor operator; which provides rollable curtains of transparent material, curtain receptacles at the top of the cab for holding the curtains when in rolled up condition, and resilient curtain clamps for holding the curtains firmly in operative position on the cab; which provides curtain frame structures in which the curtains are received and protected when in lowered or rolled down condition; and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, and effective in use.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic side elevational view of a bulldozer type tractor with a cab and closure curtain structure illustrative of the invention operatively mounted thereon:

Figure 2 is a fragmentary rear elevational view of the cab and closure curtain structure illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary rear elevational view similar to Figure 2 showing the parts in a different operative position from that illustrated in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary cross sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a cross sectional view on an enlarged scale on the line 'l-! of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a transverse cross sectional view on the line 8-8 of Figure '7; and

Figure 9 is a, cross sectional view on a somewhat enlarged scale on the line 9-9 of Figure 8.

With continued reference to the drawings, the tractor diagrammatically illustrated in Figure 1 has a longitudinally extending frame [0 supported on a pair of endless track devices H and carries an engine enclosed in an engine compartment [2 and drivingly connected to the endless tracks in a manner well known to the art. The rear end of the engine compartment is spaced from the rear end of the frame I0 to provide an operator's compartment between the engine compartment and the rear end of the frame and an operators seat [3 is mounted on the frame adjacent the rear end thereof. Tractor control levers or instrumentalities, not illustrated, are disposed adjacent the front side of the seat l3 and a fuel tank [4 is mounted on the frame [0 at the rear end of the tractor frame and adjacent the rear side of the seat l3.

A cab, generally indicated at I5, is mounted on the tractor frame I0 between the rear end of the engine compartment [2 and the front side of the fuel tank I4 and includes a front frame structure I6, a rear frame structure ll, an in termediate frame structure I8, 3, top frame structure I9 and a roof 20 mounted on the top frame structure and projecting outwardly of the cab at both sides and at the front and rear of the latter.

The front frame structure [6 is provided with a rectangular opening immediately above the rear end of the engine compartment l2 and this opening is closed by a glass pane or windshield, not illustrated. The rear frame structure I! is provided with a rectangular opening immediately above the fuel tankld and the opening in this rear frame member is also preferably closed by a glass pane. The glass panes may, if desired, be removably mounted inthe front and rear frame structures, so that they, may be removed for operation in hot weather or at other times, if desired.

Door openings, as indicated at 2| in Figure 1, are provided one at each side of the cab between the front frame structure 16 and the intermediate frame structure [8, and window openings, as indicated at 22, are provided one in each side of the cab between the intermediate frame structure l8 and the rear frame structure 11., Doors,

asindicated at 2|, are mounted one in each of the door openings. Both of the doors may be hingedly mounted in the corresponding openings, if desired, or, on the other hand, only one of, the doors may be hingedly mounted, and the other fixed in the corresponding opening to provide a fixed frame rather than a movable door. Each door comprises a rectangular frame of angleiron in which all of the angle irons of each frame have one leg outwardly directed relative to the cab and one leg inwardly directed relative to the corresponding opening and these angle irons are reinforced at the cornersof the frame by triangular gusset plates, as indicated at 23.

A manually operable door latch or look is mounted in the door 22 at the side of the door remote from the hinges 25 and is engageable with the corresponding side of the intermediate frame structure It to releasably hold the door in closed position.

Curtains, as indicated at 23, formed of flexible, transparent material, are disposed one adjacent each door and each curtain is rigidly secured at one end to the upper end of the corresponding door. The connection between the curtains 26 and the corresponding doors may be provided by hemming a fiat bar of metal into one end of the curtain and then bolting the curtain to the upper end of the door frame through this bar.

Window frames, as indicated at 21, are disposed one in each of the window openings, and each comprises a rectangular frame of angle iron in which all of the angle irons have one leg directed outwardly of the cab and the other leg directed inwardly of the window opening. Each 1 window frame is reinforced at its corners by triangular gusset plates, as indicated at 28, and each window frame is somewhat shorter and narrower than the door frames. The upper ends of the window frames are at substantially the same level as the upper ends of the door frames, but the lower ends of the window frames are above the lower ends of the door frames and substantially at the level of the tractor seat l3, as is clearly illustrated in Figure 1.

Curtains, as indicated at 29, of flexible, transparent material, are secured each at one end to the upper end of each of the window frames.

As illustrated in Figure 3, each window curtain 29 has a fiat metal bar 39 received in a hem 31 provided at the end of the curtain secured to the window frame and bolts 32 extend through the hem 3 I, the bar and the inwardly directed leg of the top angle member of the window frame to rigidly secure the curtain at its upper end to the upper end of the window frame.

A curtain receptacle 33 is mounted one at the upper end of the door 22 and curtain receptacles, as indicated at 34, are mounted one at the upper end of each window frame. A curtain receptacle will also be mounted at the upper end of the illustrated door and may be like the receptacle 33 if this door is hingedly mounted or like the receptacles 34 for the window curtains, if this door is fixed in the cab frame.

Each of the curtain receptacles, as is particularly illustrated in the case of the curtain receptacles 34 in Figures 2 and 3, comprises a rod 35 journaled in apertures provided in gusset plates at the upper ends of the corresponding cab frame structures and extending from the rear frame structure I! to the intermediate frame structure I8 spaced outwardly from and substantially parallel to the top frame member of the corresponding Window frame 21, the rod being disposed immediately below the laterally projecting portion of the roof 20. At the rear side of the rear frame structure H the rod 35 is provided with a perpendicularly offset portion 35 which bears against the rear side of the gusset plate 3'! and is provided at the distal end of the offset portion 36 with a crank 38 extending perpendicularly from the offset portion and at the distal end of the crank with a handle 35 which extends perpendicularly from the crank in a direction substantially parallel to the major or shank portion of the rod journaled in the gusset plates of the cab frame. A tension spring 40 is connected at one end to the roof structure 20 by means of an adjustable spring anchor device 4| and is connected at its other end to the offset portion 36 adjacent the crank 38 by a pin 42. The spring is connected to the spring anchor 4| at a location such that it will hold the offset portion in either one of two rotational positions of the rod to which the rod is manually moved by the crank handle 39.

The curtain receptacle further comprises a trough shaped body 43 of sheet material secured along one longitudinally extending edge to the rod 35 and extending from the rod toward the adjacent window frame.

With this arrangement, the rod 35 can be manually turned to move the trough shaped body or receptacle 4'3 downwardly to the position illustrated in full lines in Figure 3, in which position the body will be resiliently held by the spring 40. The curtain 29 may now be rolled up and placed in the receptacle &3 and the rod may then be turned by the crank handle 39 to move the receptacle body 43 to its upper position, as illustrated in broken lines in Figure 3, with the rolled up curtain therein, in which position the receptacle body will also be held by the spring 46 to hold the associated curtain out of the way adjacent the under side of the roof and in a protecting enclosure.

As both of the window curtain receptacles are of substantially the same construction and are operated in the same manner, a detailed illustration and description of one only is considered sufiicient for the purposes of the present disclosure.

The curtain receptacle 33 for the hinged door comprises a pair of sheet metal shields 44 and 45 secured to the top member of the door frame each along one edge and at the respectively opposite side edges of the door. Each shield is curved outwardly and downwardly from the top member of the door frame and each is provided with an end wall at its end adjacent the corre sponding edge of the door. These shields have adequate capacity to receive the corresponding end portions of the curtain 26 when the curtain is in rolled up condition and straps 45 and H of flexible material are secured each at one end to the upper member of the door frame at the inner side of the associated curtain and depend from the upper member of the door frame one opposite each of the shields. preferably secured to the door frame by the same bolts which secure the curtain 26 at one end to the top member of the door frame.

Curtain buttons 48 and 49 are secured on the shields 44 and 45 respectively and the straps are provided near their free ends with button securing grommets 56 and 5 I.

When the curtain 2B is rolled up and placed in the shields 44 and 45, the straps 55 and 41 are brought under the rolled up curtain and the buttons 48 and 49 inserted through the grommets 50 and El, all as shown in broken lines in Fi ure 6, to hold the curtain in rolled up condition in the shields.

Cleats, as indicated at 52, project inwardly from each side member of each door frame at spaced apart locations along the corresponding side members and are spaced from the inwardly directed flanges of these side members to permit the edges of the door curtain 25 to pass between the cleats and the opposed inwardly directed flanges of the door frame side members, to thereby hold the curtains in place in the door frames. Each window frame is provided with similar cleats 53 spaced from the inwardly directed The straps are.

flanges of the side members of the window frames to hold the edges of the curtains between the cleats and the corresponding inwardly directed flanges of the frame side members.

Resilient hold-down clamps are secured to the bottom member of each door frame and each window frame and are disposed one near each end of each frame bottom member.

The two hold-down clamps for the door frame 22 are designated at 54 and 55 and the two holddown clamps for the window frame 21 are designated at 55 and 57 in Figure 1. As these holddown clamps all have the same construction and methodof operation, a detailed illustration and description of one only is considered sufficient for the purpose of the present disclosure, and the clamp 56 has been selected for detailed illustration in Figures 6, 7 and 8.

The hold-down clamp 56 comprises a tubular barrel 69 secured at one end to a base plate 6| provided at the outside of the barrel with spaced apart apertures and disposed upon the upper surface of the outwardly directed leg of the bottom angle bar member of the window frame 11. Bolts 62 extending through the apertures in the base plate SI and through corresponding apertures in the outwardly directed flange of the frame member rigidly secure the base plate to the bottom member of the window frame with the tubular barrel 60 projecting upwardly from the base plate substantially parallel to the adjacent side member of the window frame.

The barrel 6!] is provided intermediate its length with a transversely extending or partly circumferential slot 63 and is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 64 which extends from the slot 63 to the base plate 6|. The end of the barrel 60 remote from the base plate BI is externally screw threaded and a pipe cap 65 having a centrally disposed aperture therein is threaded onto this end of the barrel. A rod 66 extends through the aperture 61 in the pipe cap 65 and into the barrel and is curved at the side of the pipe cap remote from the barrel to provide a handle or hook formation 68. A slide block 69 is mounted on the end of the rod 66 within the barrel and a coiled compression spring 10 surrounds the rod 66 between the slide block 69 and the pipe cap 65. A plurality of stacked washers H surround the rod between the pipe cap and the adjacent end of the spring to pro vide means for adjusting the loading of the spring and a pin 12 projects radially from the slide block 59 through the slot 64 in the barrel and has a depression 13 in its side adjacent the base plate 6! and near its outer end.

A stiffening rod 15 is received in a hem 16 provided in the free end of the curtain 29 and a rod 11 is disposed outside of the hem 16 and parallel to the rod 15, the rods 15 and 16 being joined together at their opposite ends.

When the curtain 29 is in its lowered or rolled down position, as illustrated in Figure 6, the pins 12 of the hold-down clamps 56 and 51 bear on the upper side of the rod 11 and the force of the spring 76 in the hold-down clamps holds the bottom end of the curtain firmly against the bottom member of the corresponding window frame, the rod Tl being held in position above the rod 15 by the upwardly directed leg of the bottom angle bar member of the window frame.

In order to roll down a curtain and secure it in operative position in the corresponding frame, the handles of the corresponding hold-down clamps are first raised and turned to seat the pins in the transverse slots 63 of the tubular barrels of the hold-down clamps and out of the way of the bottom rod of the window curtain. The handle, such as the handle 39 of the corresponding curtain receptacle is then moved 'to swing the receptacle body downwardly and free the rolled up curtain from the receptacle. The curtain is then manually unrolled and its lower edge including the bottom stiffening rod, is brought down past the pins of the hold-down clamps. The handles of the hold-down clamps are then turned to move the pins into the correspondinglongitudinal slots, such as the slots 64, of thetubular barrels of the hold-down clamps, whereupon the pins descend on the top rod of the double rod at the bottom of the curtain and force the bottom end of the curtain downwardly and into firm engagement with the bottom of the corresponding frame.

The bottom ends of the curtains are released by raising and turning the rods of the holddown clamps, in the manner indicated above, after which the curtains are rolled up and placed in the corresponding receptacle bodies and the receptacle bodies are then raised to hold the curtains therein, being held in raised position by the associated tension springs, as described above.

In the case of the door curtain 26, the rolled up curtain is held in the receptacle constituted by the shields 44 and 45 by the straps 46 and 41, as explained above.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. In a vehicle door or window structure, a

curtain roller mounted on said structure rotatably mounted on the frame and extending along one of the transverse members, a flexible curtain having one end secured to the roller and a free end, the roller being rotatable to roll the curtain thereon, said roller being positioned outwardly of one side of said structure, and a curtain receptacle mounted on said structure and extending along said one transverse member and projecting from said one side of the structure and normally enclosing the curtain roller with the curtain rolled thereon, said curtain receptacle comprising a rigid trough, an axially rotatable rod rotatably mounted on said structure and extending along said one transverse member and positioned outwardly of the said one side of the structure, said trough having an edge fixed on said rod and a free edge, said rod being rotatable in one direction to place said trough in enclosing relation to the curtain roller with the curtain rolled thereon and rotatable in the opposite direction to place said trough in open position away from the curtain roller, handle means fixed on said rod for rotating said rod, and resilient means acting between said structure and said handle means and serving to hold said trough in open and closed positions.

2. In a vehicle door or window structure, a frame having opposed side members and transverse members extending between the side members and spaced from each other therealong, a

curtain roller rotatably mounted on the frame and extending along one of the transverse members, a flexible curtain having one end secured to the roller and a free end, the roller being rotatable to roll the curtain thereon, said roller being positioned outwardly of one side of said frame, and a curtain receptacle fixed on said frame and extending along said one transverse member and projecting from said one side of the frame and normally enclosing the curtain roller with the curtain rolled thereon, a stiffening rod fixed on the said free end of the curtain, and releasable retaining means mounted on the other transverse member of said frame, said retaining means comprising finger means engageable with said stiffening rod in an unrolled position of the curtain and serving to releasably hold the curtain in unrolled position along the said one side of the frame.

MORRIS D. PARKINSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent 

